Bright Asempa Tsadidey, the Director of Corporate Affairs at the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), has clarified that it did not approve, endorse, or sanction the recently held Karnival Kingdom Festival.
According to the GTA, the five-day Caribbean-style carnival event organised in Osu, Greater Accra Region, was never endorsed.
The GTA revealed they were surprised by the event and are currently collaborating with the Ghana Police Service to establish the facts under which the carnival was organised.
Speaking to Citi News, Bright Asempa Tsadidey stated, “We know that the Ghana Tourism Authority, when it comes to tourists coming into the country and their activities, indeed, we are deeply involved. However, this group of people, the Ghana Tourism Authority, has no idea of what went on on the streets of Accra.
“We have not okayed, we have not endorsed, and we have not sanctioned any group of people to undertake such an exercise or event.
“We have reached out to the Ghana Police Service, already trying to find out the organisers of this very work so that we can engage them.”
The Karnival Kingdom Festival drew public attention following videos and nude images circulated on social media, leading to the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference issuing a statement demanding a probe.
According to the Catholic Bishops, the public nudity displayed at the Karnival Kingdom Festival is an eyesore that denigrates our values as a nation and breaches the laws of our land.
The Catholic Bishops’ detailed that the event which took place between 22-28 April 2026, with participants receiving police protection.
They called for an immediate investigation into the role of State Institutions, and the importation of foreign cultural practices.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, on Facebook, and signed by the President, Most Rev Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, read, “STATEMENT FROM THE GHANA CATHOLIC BISHOPS’ CONFERENCE ON THE KARNIVAL KINGDOM FESTIVAL
The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference has taken note of the public nudity at the Karnival Kingdom Festival (22-28 April 2026), during which participants received police protection. The event was an eyesore, denigrated our values as a nation and breached the laws of our land (cf section 278 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960, Act 29).
1. The Demand for Investigation. We, Pastors of our Land, unequivocally condemn the act of public nudity and call for immediate investigation into the role of State Institutions, and the importation of foreign cultural practices. The presence of police protection for participants raises serious questions about official oversight. The Conference commends the Member of Parliament for Assin South, Honourable John Ntim Fordjour, for his call in this direction.
2. Cultural Tension Requires Discernment. The event reflects a clash between globalised festival culture and Ghana’s established legal standards. An imported event cannot claim exemption from Ghanaian law. Cultural exchange must respect the host nation’s laws and values.
3. Governance Questions Are Serious. Who approved the permits and the deployment of police to protect participants engaged in public nudity? The Conference is deeply concerned that state agencies responsible for protecting public order may have facilitated rather than prevented this misconduct.
4. No Political Interference In Investigation. The Conference urges all parties to allow the investigative process to proceed without undue political pressure.
5. Recommendations. The Conference recommends a thorough, impartial investigation with public findings; review of permitting processes with clear decency guidelines; an inquiry into why police protection was provided; and a national dialogue on limits of cultural expression in public spaces.
Conclusion. Provision of police protection for acts that breach the criminal code represents a serious failure of official duty. Enforcement of laws is urgently needed”.
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